Miles to Go Before I Sleep
by dixiewolf-dixon
Summary: Savannah Rainey is no stranger to the word "survival". Daryl Dixon/OC
1. Glazed Eyes

Savannah Rainey is no stranger to the word "survival". Since the age of 18, she's been the sole provider for her younger sister and brother. Along the way, sacrifices had to be made and the people she counted on the most betrayed her. Since the zombie outbreak, her driving force has been to get her siblings to safety and trust no one. Can a group of survivors show her that decent people still exist even when the world is in shambles?

Disclaimer: I, in no way, own the Walking Dead.

* * *

'Something about tonight just don't feel right,' Savannah thought to herself as she opened the door to her truck. Her serving shift at the bar had ended and she was off to pick up her siblings from her friend's house. She pulled up to the door and slammed the truck door shut. June and Rhett were looking out the window and smiling back at her as if she had been gone for days.

"Hey kiddos," Savannah smiled as she opened the screen door.

"Hey Vannah!" The kids threw their arms around their big sister dying for affection.

"I hope you weren't too much trouble for Chloe."

"They were good as usual," Chloe said as she packed their things neatly inside their backpacks.

"What'd y'all do tonight?"

"We ate pizza!" June shouted with excitement.

"Oh wow. Was it good?" I asked as I put her golden hair into a ponytail.

"Yes!" She threw her arms up in the air, still excited about the pizza.

"Chad showed up here looking for you," Chloe said as she sat down on the leather couch.

"What did that low life piece of sh-," Savannah controlled her language knowing that her brother and sister were present.

"..Crap want?"

"Said you owed him money."

"Are you kidding me?! If anything, he owes me!" She raised her voice in annoyance with the whole situation. Chad had never been a stellar boyfriend. He was rude, barely went to work, got drunk way too often, and managed to walk out every time Savannah needed help. When he had to babysit the kids while Savannah worked two jobs, Chad always wanted to be compensated for his time that he could have been out drinking with the boys. "Rhett, can you take your sister to the truck? I'll be out in a second."

Rhett nodded his head and grabbed his book bag. He and June ran up to Chloe and thanked her for picking them up from school and taking them to get pizza. Now that the children were outside, Savannah could say what was really on her mind.

"That dumb son of a bitch. I can't handle his shit anymore!" Savannah crossed her arms. Anger had been boiling inside of her for a few months over the situation. More anything, she wanted to take a sledgehammer to her ex-boyfriend's truck. She wished she had the nerve to do something that extreme but she couldn't afford getting into trouble.

"How long have y'all been broken up?"

"A month? I found him in bed with one of my coworkers from the store."

"Feed and Seed? Brenda?!" Chloe's eyes grew wide. "Ewww! Brenda is old and gross."

"Cause that really makes me feel good," Savannah sighed.

"I'm sorry. I really wasn't trying to. Chad's on a mid life crisis. I'm waiting for him to buy a motorcycle."

"He's twenty six fucking years old.."

"Yeah, he's an early bloomer. He got senioritis when he was in the fifth grade," Chloe joked. "I mean, that doesn't make any of it okay."

"I'm just tired of him calling."

"He's calling you?"

"Every damn day. He's been trying to get back with me and lately, he's gotten more threatening about it. He's scaring the kids. I'm going up there."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chloe advised.

"Why? Cause you know he won't have a face when I'm done with him."

Chloe nodded. Savannah had always been a fighter and refused to back down from an argument. There were times in middle school when she had been involved in altercations that led to a few suspensions. She never threw the first punch but she made sure to end the fight.

"I gotta go," Savannah looked back to the truck. "It's way past their bedtime."

"Promise me you won't go over there."

"Night, Clo," Savannah said as she slammed the door and marched down the porch steps. She got into the truck and drove into the country. June was already asleep before they had left city limits.

Savannah pulled into the driveway and looked at her pitiful house. The grass was starting to grow up, the shutters needed a new coat of paint, and way too many cats hung out on the front porch. The inside wasn't any better. The house contained two small bedrooms, a bathroom, a sitting area, and a kitchen that literally only one person could walk into comfortably at a time. It wasn't much, but it was home. Savannah had a sense of pride knowing that she bought it with her own money. Soon enough, things would look up for her. In her mind, she envisioned herself as a college graduate with her degree in education teaching outside of Atlanta. She'd have a big house outside of the city with a wrap around porch and everything June and Rhett could ever want.

Savannah unlocked the front door and threw her jacket on the couch. Rhett and June shuffled to the bathroom to get ready for bed while their sister began packing their lunches. '_Things are going to get better_,' she cracked a smile as opened the pantry looking for food.

"What's for lunch tomorrow?" Rhett asked before brushing his hair.

"I want cookies!" June squealed.

"Ham and cheese, chips, an apple, and a juice box."

"All the other kids have their parents bring them take out," Rhett crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Hun, you know that there ain't no way the shop will let me get off at lunch and drive 20 minutes to bring you lunch. And we don't have the money to eat out every day."

"Vanny makes good lunches," June smiled from ear to ear.

"Y'all need to get in bed. It's way past your bedtime."

"When do we stop getting a bedtime?" June asked sternly.

"Twelve years for you and nine for Rhett."

"We have to be eighteen before you let us stay up late?"

"Of course," Savannah chuckled. "Now get to bed. I'll be there in a little bit to tuck y'all in."

The pair walked to the bedroom and buried themselves beneath the sheets. Savannah began her nightly routine. She tucked Rhett in and kissed him on the forehead before reading June a bedtime story. After that, she'd tidied up their room and made sure their backpacks were ready for the next day of school. Finally, Savannah had some time to herself to wind down from the long work day. She grabbed a beer from the fridge, laid on the couch, and turned on the television. The news seemed to be on every channel. Savannah reached for the remote to turn up the volume.

_'Breaking news now out of Atlanta. The Atlanta P.D. is reporting riots in the streets. Residents of the city are asked to remain indoors until further notice.'_ The camera panned over behind the news anchor to show civilians attacking police officers. The camera feed was lost and returned back to the anchors in the studio. _'We seem to be having some technical difficulties. We'll get back with Paula as soon as possible.' _

Savannah muted the television and looked at the glare on the screen. Headlights were shining into her front window. She walked over to the window and peered out into the darkness. "That dumb motherfucker," she scoffed as she realized it was Chad's truck sitting in her driveway. She went to her bedroom and grabbed her gun. She had no intentions of shooting Chad but wouldn't mind scaring him a little. Savannah walked out onto the porch and called his name. As she walked closer to his truck, she noticed that his door had been left open but he wasn't inside. A screeching sound from the backyard drew her attention and she sprinted to find the source of the noise. Chad was bent over on the ground hovering over one of the cats. His hands were covered in blood. He made a few grunting noises and sounded if he was gasping for breath.

"What the hell are you doing to my cats?!" Savannah yelled.

He remained unresponsive.

"Hey, get the fuck off my land. If you come around here, I won't hesitate to shoot you dead."

He finally turned around and looked up at her with glazed, yellow eyes.

"Oh my God," Savannah shuddered and jumped back. "What is wrong with you?" She pointed her flashlight down to the stray cat. "Oh my God!" She leaned over and threw up looking at the remains of the feline. She shined the light on Chad's face. His pupils were dilated and his mouth was covered in blood. "What the hell kind of drugs are you on now?!"

Chad got up slowly and began stumbling towards her. She raised her gun, unafraid to pull the trigger. "Come near me and I will shoot you!" He groaned and began walking faster. Savannah closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. She opened them expecting to see him on the ground but he was still coming towards her. The bullet had blown a large hole through his stomach. There was no way he could still be alive. He was now inches away from her body. She held the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Blood and gore splattered in every direction as his lifeless body hit the ground.


	2. Reality

The cold wind began to blow bringing Savannah back to reality. Her ex-boyfriend went going crazy and she killed him. She did a double take at the body and tried to remember how much she drank. Barely a sip. She wasn't drunk nor was she dreaming. Chad had turned into insane, like a monster. If she hadn't acted in the way she did, she and the kids might not have made it out alive.

"What am I going to do?" Savannah put her hands to her face. She knew what she did was self-defense but what if the police didn't buy it. "Just call the police and tell them what happened," she repeated. Savannah made her way inside the house with every intention of calling law enforcement until a little shadow distracted her.

"What happened?" Rhett stood in the doorway of the bedroom with his arms crossed.

"Nothing."

"I heard a gun go off. It scared June pretty bad."

"Just had to scare off some coyotes that were going after the cats," Savannah lied. She couldn't tell Rhett, not yet.

"Can I watch tv with you until I get sleepy?"

"Yeah, c'mon," she walked over to the couch and wrapped her brother up in a blanket. She turned the television on again hoping the news was over for now. Savannah scanned through the channels quickly and turned it off. "Nothing on, buddy. You better get to bed, okay?" As much as she wanted to put off call, she knew it had to be done.

"Why was the news on every channel?" Rhett inquired.

"I don't know."

He grabbed the remote from Savannah and turned the television back on. _'We're just now getting word from the Center for Disease Control that there are shelters set up in Atlanta for the uninfected. Those who have contracted the virus are asked to seek medical attention immediately_.'

"Virus?" The boy's eyes grew wider.

_'The CDC has asked that civilians stay away from those infected. If you do come in contact, take refuge from the infected. Those infected display violent and sometimes animalistic behavior.'_

The phone began causing the two jump up from the couch. 'What if someone saw me? What if the police are on their way to arrest me?' Every possible scenario was forming in the woman's head.

"Hello," Savannah's voice cracked as she answered the phone.

"Hey, are you okay?!" Chloe gasped for breath.

"Yeah," she breathed a sigh of relief. "We're at the house watching the news."

"I'm taking mom to Atlanta. We heard that the CDC is treating the virus. She's got a fever and I'm really worried. "

"It's going to be okay. They'll treat it an' she'll be good as new," Savannah reassured her.

"Oh shit," she shrieked.

"What it is!"

"I drove through town. Infected people are in the streets attacking each other."

"Oh my God."

"If I were you, I'd get the kids out of there and head to Atlanta. You don't want to put them at risk for this thing. Shelby said they had a vaccine or something to give to the general population. Kinda like a flu shot."

"What about work tomorrow?"

"I don't know if half the town will make it to tomorrow. Police are shooting down people. It's the worst thing I've ever seen."

"So what? I just pack them up and go?"

"Yeah. I'll call you when I get to Atlanta. Half the city was declared a safe zone. We'll meet up there. Oh and take the back roads. Don't stop for anything or anyone."

"Be careful, ok?"

"You too, Vannah."

She ended the call and glanced back at the muted television screen to see that the President had issued a state of emergency for the state of Georgia.

"What's a 'state of emergency'?" Rhett asked as he read the screen.

"It means we got to get outta here. Go to ya room and start packing clothes. Don't wake your sister up either. We'll wake her up before we leave."

Savannah grabbed a few grocery bags from the pantry and began filling them with non-perishable foods. She wasn't exactly sure what to pack. The only state of emergencies she had lived through were hurricanes and tornadoes that wiped out entire towns. If it was anything like she had seen on the news, she and her siblings could be displaced and have little access to essentials like food, water, and clothing. Savannah turned around to feel someone hugging her waist.

"Vanny, what are you doing?" June's big green eyes stared up at her sister.

"We're going on a little vacation."

"What about school tomorrow?"

"It's canceled."

"For my birthday?" She squealed.

"Sure, sweet girl. Now sit on the couch and I'll get your suitcase packed."

June followed her sister's instructions while Savannah and Rhett continued packing.

"Where are we going to put all this stuff?" He asked as he placed the last of the bags by the door.

"We'll put it in the back of the truck. I'll grab a few tarps for when it rains."

Rhett picked up his bags and began to open the door before Savannah slammed it shut.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You don't know what's out there!" She lowered her voice realizing that she was worrying him. "I'm going to pull the truck up to the door."

Savannah turned on the porch light and ran to the shed that sat to the right side of the yard. She opened the it and grabbed a toolbox, tarps, a tent, and the sleeping bags from when she would take her siblings camping near the river. She backed the old red pick up to the door and loaded the truck bed with all of their belongings.

"When are we coming back?" June asked her brother.

"We're not," Rhett answered.

"We don't know that!" Savannah snapped trying to not upset her sister. "It may be a few weeks."

The Rainey's got into the truck and headed south for Atlanta. Savannah's hands shook as she grasped the steering wheel. She had never been this terrified in her whole life.


	3. Unlikely Savior

It had been one long month since Savannah and her family had left their rural hometown in hopes of finding a relief shelter in Atlanta. She had imagined them being in Atlanta by the first week of their journey. Unfortunately, circumstances were different. The truth was, no one was truly ready for the outbreak. The infection had wiped out entire towns and no one knew exactly what caused it. The Rainey's quickly learned the infected were dead and contact with the dead had to be responsible for spreading the disease.

Since Savannah was the only one that could drive, the family had to spend many a night in the small pickup truck or, if they were lucky, they'd find an abandoned house. The truck hadn't been the most reliable vehicle along the way. If they weren't searching for gasoline, they were attempting to parts to fix the engine or tires. Savannah knew the twenty something year old truck was on its last leg and the head gaskets were in dire need of repair. She prayed the truck would last another 35 miles to the city.

"How much longer?" Rhett asked as he scanned through the radio stations. There hadn't been a signal in weeks but he remained hopeful that they would pick up a feed of some kind as they approached the city.

"Maybe an hour? Just as long as the roads aren't blocked up again."

"Are there going to be monsters in the city?" June's voice was filled with panic. She had her first encounter with the dead during the first week on the road. She wandered too far from the parked truck and was chased back with three of the corpses following her. Ever since then, she had been absolutely petrified of them.

"Chloe said it was safe."

"When was the last time you talked to her?"

"The night we left. She didn't answer anymore. Don't help that all service towers went down the next day."

After almost an hour and at least twenty games of I Spy, the Rainey's had made it to the city. Savannah had never been to Atlanta before and wondered what the city had been like before the outbreak. She had always dreamt of packing up her truck and exploring the country but that dream was never fulfilled.

The lack of walking corpses began to alarm the young woman. For the past month, there had been far too many to count. Now, the silence was eerie and haunting. Maybe the rumors were true and the city was safe.

"Hey look, there's the aquarium!" Rhett pointed as they slowly passed the huge building.

"I wanna go!" June squealed.

"I'll take you guys there one day when all of this is done and over with."

"I thought you said Atlanta was a safe zone? There's monsters here," the boy pointed to a group of corpses. The dead were busy consuming an animal and paid no attention to the loud sputtering of the truck.

"That's what Chloe said. Half the city was safe. Maybe we're in the unsafe part?" Savannah drove further down the street and parked the truck.

"What are you doing?" June asked, her voice full of distress.

"We're on empty again. I'm gonna find us some gas and snacks."

"Can we come too?"

"No. I don't know what's out there. Just stay here and keep the doors locked."

"Please don't go," June pleaded with tears in her eyes.

"I've got to. Lock up and keep her safe." Rhett nodded and locked the truck door as his older sister exited.

Savannah walked down the street with her gun in one hand and a gas can in the other. She kept waiting to see a creature but the streets were empty. 'Maybe this is the safe part? But where's everyone else?' Finally, she had reached the gas station. She walked up to the first pump and pulled the trigger of the gas nozzle. Nothing happened. "Shit!" She cursed. Pump number six was her last hope. "C'mon baby, please, please, please," she said as she tapped the trigger. Gasoline slowly poured into her can. "Yes!" She eyed the inside of the store noticing that it had been completely wiped out by other survivors. There was no use in going inside especially when they still had enough food for a few days. She placed the nozzle back on the pump and began walking to her truck.

"Aghhhhhh!" She heard someone scream. A man had found the truck and was trying to get inside before being devoured by a multitude of the monsters. The dead noticed the two children inside of the vehicle and surrounded it. The pressure of their decaying hands shattered the passenger window. Rhett and June backed up to the steering wheel terrified of what was happening. Rhett turned around and opened the sliding glass window above the toolbox. He got his sister out first and instructed her to climb to the roof. After she was up safely, he did the same. Savannah watched with her hands over her eyes. "Oh my God," Savannah had no idea how to get them away from the truck. She had five bullets left and there were at least fifteen of the monsters around the truck. She ran towards the truck bumping into someone, knocking them down to the ground.

"Fuck, I'm really sorry!" She extended her hand and helped the young Asian man. After he was back on his feet, she began sprinting for the truck.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" The man followed closely beside her.

"Right now, trying to get my brother and sister out of there."

"Shit," he frowned. "How many bullets do you have?"

"Five."

"I've got an idea. Shoot the stragglers and follow me when you get inside."

Savannah nodded as the man ran in the opposite direction. "It's going to be okay. Just stay up there," she tried to coax her siblings. The monsters paid her no attention as they tried to reach for the children. A few minutes passed and the man hadn't returned. Every possible scenario sparked in the woman's mind. If the man had been attacked, she'd never know. She had gone this long without help, she knew she could survive one more day on her own.

Suddenly, a car rolled in front of the truck. It was the man from before. He honked the horn on the car repeatedly until he got the attention of the monsters. The noise attracted them away from the vehicle. A majority of the dead followed the sound of the car horn down the street and out of sight. Savannah ran to the truck and took down the stragglers as she was instructed to do. She climbed onto the truck bed and helped her siblings down from the roof. "It's okay now. I'm here," She said as she hugged June and wiped away her tears. She put her other arm around Rhett. "Good thinking," she kissed him on the forehead. The children got back inside of the truck while Savannah filled the contents of the gas can inside of the tank. As soon as she was done, she flung the can into the back of the truck and got inside. The car drove through town again and Savannah followed it. She followed him south of the city and parked beside his car.

"Thanks. If you weren't there," the woman paused.

"No problem. I'm Glenn, by the way."

"This is Rhett and June." The pair waved from the passenger seat. "I'm Savannah."

"Nice to meet you all," he smiled warmly at the family.

"So where's the safe zone?"

"Safe zone?"

"Yeah, my friend said there was a safe part of the city. Government relief shelter or something?"

"The city's been overrun for three weeks now. It fell fast. They started dropping bombs, trying to get rid of the walkers."

Savannah's eyes widen at his news. They had gone through too much in the past month to learn that there was no safe haven. If it had been up to eldest Rainey, she would have boarded the house up and waited the virus out. Where would they go from Atlanta? Was anywhere truly untouched the plague?

"Walkers?" Rhett asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The dead."

"Oh, okay. Walkers kinda makes sense," he nodded. "Sounds better than the monsters."

"Look, anything you heard on the news was a lie. You get bitten and you turn. There's no vaccine or treatment," Glenn took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'm a part of a camp down near the rock quarry. There's about fifteen or twenty of us. You and your family are welcome to stay with us. Even if you don't decide to stick around, at least come rest for the night. It's the safest place I've been since the outbreak."


End file.
